The Glitch Mob Brings L.A.’s Beats to Boston

Gabby Catalano ’18 / Emertainment Monthly Staff Writer

Their pounding, electronic sounds and West Coast vibes will have you hooked from the start. Their balanced energy and synced chemistry on stage will influence younger DJs and producers to create beats that are experiential and passionate. What began during the early 2000’s in San Francisco warehouse parties and underground, L.A. EDM shows was the birth of The Glitch Mob — a three-piece electronic group by the names of eDit, Ooah, and Boreta.

The trio sparked fire at the House of Blues on October 28, shaking the house with their heavy bass lines and experimental tracks. The opening acts were Brooklyn-based music collective Chrome Sparks and San Francisco’s The M Machine, resembling The Glitch Mob’s distinguishing style.

“We’re glad to be in Boston,” said Jeremy Malvin, the creator and lead spinner for the electronic group Chrome Sparks. Malvin’s mix of classical percussions and electronic synthesizers added to his individualistic taste, similar to The Glitch Mob’s approach when creating beats.

The tracks “Marijuana” and “Send The Pain On” blended remixes from Malvin’s past songs alongside rich instrumentation of wind synthesizers and tambourines. His performance was lively, his movement on stage was excessive for a spinner, and the audience couldn’t get enough of how his white tee-shirt would glow as the fluorescents flashed and the bass line dropped.

Afterwards came The M Machine, a trio from San Francisco who mirrored the futuristic sounds of the French House and the electronica scene. Immediately signed to Skrillex’s OWSLA label after forming, The M Machine combined indie vocal songs with club beats and garage house tunes, experimenting with various instrumentation, similar to the musical group Kill Paris.

Although the trio spent their performance spinning high up in the DJ booth, the roaring beats, the flashing red and white lights, and the frantic energy of their sounds made up for their lack of interaction. At times, the tracks were monster-like, video game sounding, and ultimately, wild, like DeadMau5 and Nicky Romero. Songs “Ghosts In The Machine,” “Deep Search,” and “Superflat” were exceptionally loud, shaking the house and all the music hungry attendees.

The finale, the prize of the night, the experimenters that implement full-hearted beats and demonstrate obvious chemistry as a trio, arrived at around 10:30 p.m. The Glitch Mob brought the heat of the West Coast to Boston, along with their early 2000’s hip-hop influenced beats and EDM style that most electronic groups lack nowadays.

Head bobbing, screaming, dancing, jumping, dazing, kissing, shaking, and throwing arms up in the air were the effects of the music. The sounds bounced from wall to wall and ear to ear, drowning the house with thundering sounds, crazed ear-bleeding fans, and non-stop electronic. The Glitch Mob’s music is best experienced with the volume on full blast, especially their album Love Death Immortality — a name most resembling the liveliness and the compelling tone of their music.

“For us, our music is very experiential, like it’s meant to be experienced and felt and put into a situation where everything is full blast,” said Josh Mayer (Boreta) in our interview.

The tracks “Our Demons” and “I Need My Memory Back,” featuring mixer Aja Volkman who’s a close friend of The Glitch Mob’s, were especially powerful. The repetition of beats were hardly redundant but rather climaxing, and the bass drops were so heavy and potent, leaving the audience wanting more towards the end of the show.

Because the trio has a close friendship, their chemistry was in-sync and their differing styles intertwined, creating individualistic tunes and passionate touches.

“We definitely bring a lot of different flavors to the studio. I think the chemistry and why we’re able to write music so well together is because … we’re really good friends and we hang out a lot,” said Mayer.

As the night neared, the flashing radiant lights and ‘in perfect harmony’ alternating strobes became more evident, along with the smoke machine and colorful background music videos, adding to the aesthetically pleasing ending.

The Glitch Mob is here to continue inflaming the electronic industry. Check out their latest album Love Death Immortality and be on the look out for new tracks coming this winter.